Interview with MEP Jaromír Štětina: All efforts to claim sovereignty over Karabakh by force will wreck

YEREVAN, APRIL 19, ARMENPRESS. Not supporting Nagorno Karabakh or Armenia means to support the Soviet cruel ethnic policy. Member of European People's Party, Czech by nationality, MEP Jaromír Štětina had expressed such a viewpoint back on April 13 during a discussion held at the European Parliament. “Armenpress” took an interview from the MEP about his visit to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh and Karabakh conflict.

At the discussion on Nagorno Karabakh at the European Parliament you firmly supported Nagorno Karabakh. What resulted in such a firm opinion?

Of course, my personal experience also played a role. I have been in Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh from the start of the conflict when Karabakh committee was in charge. Mr. Polyanichko had a high position in Karabakh at that time, and once he personally arrested me and expelled from Karabakh, but we, as reporters (Jaromír Štětina was one of the most prominent military reporters of the Czech Republic-edit.) were able to find ways to return. It is the main reason of my opinion, as I was able to catch the main reasons of the conflict.

In your announcement you mentioned that supporting Azerbaijan can be viewed as support to Bolshevik policy of 1920s. Why did you come to that opinion?

I stated that because I am afraid that the thesis that Armenia and Azerbaijan are equally guilty of the conflict expands in Europe. Everyone forgets that everything started from Bolshevik era, when the Soviet Union came into existence and Moscow took Karabakh from Armenia and handed to Azerbaijan based on the principle “divide and rule”. It was an old imperial policy of Moscow. If I did not support Armenia and Karabakh it would mean that I accept those methods.

It is already a long time there are talks about mechanisms investigating ceasefire violations. What do you think, what steps must be taken to ensure the effectiveness of those mechanisms?

I heard about the discussions over this issue when Rome and Minsk conferences were organized over Karabakh issue. The OSCE did not make enough efforts to realize them. Karabkh authorities waited and waited and later decided that they will deal with the issue on their own and stand for the protection of their country.

What do you think, why Azerbaijan decided that now is the proper time to launch military operations against Nagorno Karabakh?

Of course, there are many reasons, both political and economic, but one of the main reasons is that Aliyev decided to take a step which is often called in Russia “small victorious war”. Dictators often do so. If a dictator faces hardships inside his country, it is necessary to wage a war and win it. Aliyev failed in implementing that idea. Maybe he had in mind that “Blitzkrieg" triumph, but it did not come into reality.

How do you assess the respond of the international community to those developments? Were they adequate?

I believe the international community, including the EU were not tough enough. They even respond to developments in Ukraine mildly, as the Syrian conflict has eclipsed everything, and Karabakh is too far away and has no direct impact on Europe and the migrant issue. I assure you that if hundreds of thousands migrants arrived in Europe from this region, everybody would be much more interested in Karabakh.

Do you think that the EU has real levers to influence that issue?

Federica Mogherini was in the center of attention at the European Parliament. She stated a key sentence: Nagorno Karabakh conflict has no military solution. I do not want what connotation she wanted to stress, but it is the truth. One of the reasons that it is impposible to settle the conflict by military means is that Nagorno Karabakh has won that war and it has become a citadel that remains for already 20 years. I believe all attempts to claim sovereignty over Karabakh by force will wreck. I visited Aghdam a few years ago and I saw the fortifications there, it is like the MaginotLine, which will be too difficult to take by military means. If the policy of putting a sign of parity between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the situation formed after 1990s will continue. Karabakh has to protect itself.

What do you think, which are the reasons of that parity-policy? Why does not the international community often see the reality?

I believe Armenia’s geopolitical position has had an impact there, and due to that position Armenia signed the agreement of membership to the Eurasian Economic Union in Moscow. I understand that, but there are people, politicians in Europe who do not understand that nuance. It reminds me of Europe’s policy towards Ukraine, where economic benefits prevail over political state of affairs. If in this case there are European politicians who are afraid of Moscow, there are some who are afraid of Baku.

We witnessed in this war how Azerbaijanis mutilate the bodies of the killed, cut off ears of civilians and behead soldiers. What would you say about conducting such a war by Azerbaijan?

War is not “breakfast in kindergarten”. War is a tough and cruel thing. The spiral of hatred in such conditions often begins to rotate, but it should not be forgotten who starts to rotate it.

As you know Turkey, which is a member of the Minsk Group engaged in Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement, vigorously supports Azerbaijan. How would you comment on this reality?

This situation is a good point to understand Turkish policy. Turkey reveals its cards behaving that way. Turkey supported Azerbaijan back in 1990s as well. There is information that today Azerbaijan uses not only Russian and Israeli weapons, but also Turkish. In principle, we understand that Turkey overtly behaves as Azerbaijan’s ally.

Interview conducted by Armen Ghazaryan